It's been a full decade since the first Harvest Moon game saw the light
of day, and Natsume continues to churn out new variations on the much-loved
farm simulator series. Since the beginning, Harvest Moon has always been
about growing crops, making friends, raising livestock, upgrading your farm
and tools, and seeking the affections of a potential spouse.

All of these
tried and true activities remain intact in Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest
Moon, but this refreshing addition to the series offers an unexpected twist
by immersing players in realm of magic, monsters, and swordsmanship. The
game expertly straddles the line between agricultural sim and traditional
fantasy RPG, mixing the best elements of both to create what is easily the
best Harvest Moon title on a handheld system to date.

Essentially, Rune Factory combines two games in one. The traditional
emphasis on farming and gardening, and interacting with people in the town,
is enough to keep players occupied for many hours. This portion alone feels
like a complete Harvest Moon game. The addition of fantasy elements seems
like icing on the cake. Exploring the many dungeon caves along the outskirts
of town - which involves battling and taming monsters, mining for treasure,
planting cave crops, and boss battle encounters - is an entirely consuming
pursuit in itself. Cooking, fishing, getting married, item crafting,
improving your house, researching magic, and interacting with a slew of
different townspeople are just a few of the other pursuits possible in the
game. Simply put, there's a hell of a lot to keep occupied with, and
transitioning back and forth between the old and new aspects of the game is
seamless.

As Raguna, a young boy suffering from amnesia, players stagger into the
outskirts of the town of Kardia. Parched, exhausted, and aimless, you meet a
strange girl named Mist who kindly provides you with a hoe, a watering can,
some seeds, and parcel of land in return for working on her farm. She
suggests growing crops might trigger bits of your lost memory, and it's not
long before you agreeably settle into a routine on the farm. Word of your
arrival quickly spreads to others in the village eager to make your
acquaintance, ten of which are maidens which you may court. After the brief
story introduction, players are left to their own devices to explore the
land, grow their farm, and uncover their hidden past.

The town of Kardia is quite large, offering many different shops,
personalities, and services, and it contains a great deal more charm than
past handheld games in the series. There is also much exploring to be done
in the caves and regions outside of the town, but you can't just wander into
these dangerous locales haphazardly. Players must obtain various passes from
the mayor before being allowed to enter the different creature-filled
dungeons. Passes are earned by proving your worth, and the first is obtained
by giving a certain level of attention to tending your fields. You will need
to spend time on the farm before growing strong enough, and gaining enough
money to pick up a decent weapon at the local blacksmith's shop, to venture
on excursions into the first dungeon cave.

Back at the farm, growing crops has never been easier, as several key
improvements to the gardening interface make a world of difference. Players
can now walk effortlessly over crops, making watering and harvesting a
breeze. A selection box - implemented in much the same way as in the two
Game Cube Harvest Moon titles - can be switched off and on to allow better
aim control. A sprint feature lets players dash around the garden, saving
precious seconds of daylight. For each second that passes in real time
amounts to a full 10 minutes in the game. All of the minor changes really
make gardening less of a pain. An interesting new crop leveling-up system
allows you to improve the value of your veggies and make some serious money.
The rest of the farming formula remains largely untouched, as it makes sense
not to mess around too much with a good thing. Raising animals on your farm
is also the same in terms of gameplay, but instead of chickens and cows you
will be taming and raising creatures to gather Cockadoodle eggs, Buffamo
milk, and other sellable resources from a range of strange beasts. Some
creatures can also be taught to work on the farm, replacing the Harvest
Sprites from earlier games.